It has been many years since Ziggy Marley has performed in Jamaica, but tonight at the Smile Jamaica concert at James Bond Beach audiences can expect nothing but love from the multiple Grammy award winner.
Having just come off an extensive tour and the success of his Grammy award-winning album Love Is My Religion Ziggy is happy to be back home in Jamaica for the momentous Smile Jamaica/Africa Unite concert.
Ziggy told the STAR, “mi always tell people don’t come wid expectations come wid an open mind cause I bring love for di people.” Audiences can expect tracks from Ziggy’s last solo effort Love Is My Religion as well as previous Melody Makers tunes and performances with his siblings.
Ziggy will be performing alongside brothers Stephen, Julian, Ky-mani and Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley in memory of their father, the legendary Bob Marley. The Marley brothers do not get the chance to perform together often so this rare experience is one that audiences can look forward to. However, Ziggy attests that there will be more combinations with his siblings in the near future.
He said, “it’s a spiritual experience performing with them. There are times when wi don’t even have to communicate through words its just a natural unity.”
Both the Smile Jamaica and the Africa Unite concerts have great meaning behind them. The Africa Unite concert sees the vision of Bob Marley’s love for unity come to life. Ziggy played a part in that role as one of the narrators of the Africa Unite documentary speaking on behalf of his family and about his father’s vision of unity.
A passionate Ziggy told the STAR, “unity for Africa is a fundamental solution for Africa. It must happen for Africa to grow or progress. Putting that idea to people in Africa and Jamaica onstage is a mus.”
It was at the Smile Jamaica concert in the 70s that Ziggy’s father, Bob Marley, took to the stage after being shot three days before. With this in mind Ziggy sees the event as one to unite the people and the music.
“Its an opportunity to tek di music further to express di wide variety of di music, tings from di dancehall and di roots of music. It’s to unite all di genres into one,” he said.
While Ziggy has not performed in his home country for more years than he can remember, he plans to be in Jamaica performing for his people more often. Ziggy told the STAR that he hopes to do a couple more shows here for the year. In the future Ziggy wants to make an album for the children who he describes as ‘open vessels’ for the message.
Source: JamaicaStar
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